Combined pressure control and water separator device for paint spraying machines



Patentedlvlay 26, 1931 p UNITED} rareur omen111 riunx Ankara TITTEMQRE, or aicnmonn. oiinironmn, Assrenon TO Harm strains?v EQUIPMENT COMPANY, or SAN rnAncIsco, onmronnm, a CDRPORATIQN ornn'vanay comm!) PRESSURE con'rnon iiN'n wn'rnnsnrm'ron nnvlcnron PAINT srRAYIno mac'mnns Application: filed llarch 20, was. summit. 263,020.

This invention relates to a combined pressure controlling and water separating device for paint spraying machines. y

The object ofthe invention is to provide a combined pressure controlling-{and water separating device for paint sprayin' machines which is simple in structure, e cient v in operation, compact and convenient for use and application. v

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the nature referred to wherein there is combined within. a single structural unit pressure controlling and water separating means for use in connection 4| with paint spraying devices.

' A-further object of the invention is to provide adevice of the naturereferredto which is incorporated into a cap or cover capable of application to a paint .pot or con- 39 tainer for paint spraying-,machine's.

Further objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consistssubstantially in the construction, combination, location, and role,-

I 1 3| live arrangementof parts all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims. 1

In the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of a combined pressure controlling and water separating device. for paint spraying machines embodyin the principles of my invention.

- igure 2 is a view in vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig..- 1 looking in the'direc' tion of the arrows. p

The same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

In the use and operation of paint spraying apparatus of the pressure feed-type it is usual to employ a pressure medium supplied into the paint pot or container to force the paint material to the nozzle or gun to be sprayed onto the surface to be painted. It is also usual to supply a pressure medium to and through thegun to efiect the atomization of the paint material-asthe latter is delivered from the nozzle of the gun, and to project the atomthe gun be under adjustable control in order to any condition to which the apparatus-may be ized paint material onto the surface to painted] To secure. the best results it is de- =s1ra'ble that the. pressure supplied into the paint pot or container to feedtlie material to meet the practical requirements encountered 1n, painting operations and,;l1'kew1se,. it is desirable to supply the atomizer pressure-medium to the gun under adjustable control, for the same purpose. 51ft is, also desirable to maintain the pressures when. once adjusted and correlated each with respect to the other, substantially. uniform and constant .so that the painting operations may be uniform for adjusted and coordinated. Where compressed air is employed forgithe pressure me? d-ium. to 'efl'ect the feed of the paintma-terial and the atomization thereof difliculty has been encountered by reason oftheaocumulation of water of-condensation from the compressed air employed within the system. Anycow densatio'n, moisture, water in the system is ex: ceedingly detrimental in theapplication of paints, lacquers, andfthe like, by, reason of the water comingin contact 'withand'commim gling with the paint material either in the pot or container or in the spray of the paint material at the delivery end of the gun. It is also desirable in order to secure. the' bestrresultsto eliminate or remove from-the pressure medium any particlesof foreign matter, dust, dirt, or the like, contained in. the pressure-mediui'n employed, the resence of whichin'said medium not only e eotsnndue Wear on the hose and passages-of the gun butwalso free quently mars or impairs the smoothness, evenness, and uniform appearance of the painted surface.

In order to avoid these and similar objections it has been the practice to employ some sort of separating means for trapping the condensation from thecompressednir or file tering such air. Ordinarily a water trap or separator as a separateunit is employed and located at some point in the system usually at a point near to or adjacent the container or paint pot, or attached or mounted at some point in the" compressed airline leading from the compressor to the container. Frequently Q at; N40

' separator into the system. Moreover, )ractical experience in the manufacture ant use of pressure paint spravlng apparatus has demonstrated that condensation takes place in the air lines where compressed air traverses the length even of ten feet of hose, and consequently if the separator is located ten or 'more feet away from the pot or container more or less water of condensation develops which reaches the pot or container and becomes mixed with the paint material.

In order to avoid the objections noted, to prevent the possibility of failure through negligence or otherwise of properly hooking up the separator into the system, and to insure the location of the separator at the closest possible proximity to the point where the compressed air is delivered into the pot or container to effect the feed of the paint material therefrom, I propose in accordance with the principles of my'invention to incorporate the pressure controlling devices of the water separator and filter into a single unit which is capable of being attached as a unit direct-lyto the top or cover of the paint pot or container, or it may in and of itself con stitute the whole orva part of such top or cover.

In carrying. out my invention I provide a casing 20 having an interior chamber and formed at its base end with an annular flange 21 and a threaded nipple portion 22 by which said casing may be removably scrmved into a threaded opening in the top or lid 2?, of a pot or container 24, as shown in Fig. '1, or directly into a threaded opening in the mouth or open end of the paint pot or container .25, as shown in Fig. .2. Mounted upon the upper end of the casing 20 is a cap 26 to form a chamber 5 within the casing. A source of compressed air delivers into the space or chamber 5 through an air inlet opening 9 under the control of a cut off valve 16. Disposed within the interior of'the casing below the chamber 5 is a thick layer 6 of suitable filtering material, such as felt or the like, through which the compressed air passes from said chamber 5. The purpose of this filtering material is to separate out from the air anyparticle of dirt, scale, or other foreign matter as well as to cushion or retard the velocity of flow of the lncoming compressed air. Vertically disposed within the casing and extending through the bed of filtering material 6 isa section of pipe 7 having an open lower end and delivering at its upper end into a passage 14: formed in the cap 26. Disposed within the casing beneath the bed of filtering materialB andsurrounding the open endof the pi Je or tube 7 is an inverted metal cone shape member 8. the smaller end of which encompasses the tube 7 and the rim of its larger end extending into closelxproximity to the'inner-surface of the casing, a very small clearance bein allowed between this width or rim and the inner wall of the casing. Any water of condensation contained in the air is deposited upon the upper inclined surface of the cone shaped member 8 and flows down such surface through the small clearance between itsilower edge or lip and the inner wall of the casing, being forced by the air pres sure through said space while the capillary attraction of the casing wall at. the restricted passage referred to picks up any such condensation and allows it to flow down the inner wall of the easing into the lower portion27 of the interior chamber of the casing which serves as a receiving'sump and from which the collected condensation may be drawn or forced off through a connection 13 controlled by a cut on valve 15.

The compressed air after passing through the filter material 6 and after the removal of the water of condensation therefrom in the manner described passes upwardly through the lower open end of the pipe 7 and into the passage 14. From the passage 14 the dry air under pressure passes into the pressure a tank to effect the feed of the paint material therefrom to the gun, and also from said pas.- sage 14 the dry compressed air passes'to the gun for atomi'zing the paint material delivered to th elatt'er and for projecting such 'ma ,terial' onto the surface to be painted.

In order to secure thepropercoordination of the pressures referrcd'to, that is the paint feed. pressure supplied into the tank or pot and that supplied to the gun for atomization, either one or both of these pressure supplies may be adjustabiy regulated and when so adjusted and regulated automatically maintain atthe desired coordination or ratio with res ect to each other. In the particular embo iment of my invention as shown, to which, however, my invention is not to be limited or restricted in its broadestscope, I propose to pressures in the combined pressure controlling and water separating unit' structure of my invention. To this end the dry air pressure delivers from passage 14 through a suitable connection into and through an adjustable pressure reducing or controlling device 2 with which is-connected a pressure indicator 4 and by means of which pressure'reducer' andadjustable and regulated and controlled pressure of uniform value is delivered through a convenient connection 28 (see Fig. 1) into a space 11 formed in the base body of the easing 20. This space delivers through an openi ng in a plug 12 which is controlled by a splash valve 29, the function of which is to prevent the air pressure contained within the paint adjust-ably regulate and control each of these ins H woman container or pot from splashing paint material from the container or pet into the space -11 and thence into the passage 28 and reduebig valve .2.

Forthis purpose. the valve29 unseats inwardly towards the interior of the paint pot or container but is yieldingly held seated when no air into the pot.

\Vhere the atom-izing air pressure is also supplied under adjustable control and automaticallymaintained at its adjusted ratio to the gun for atomiziug and projecting the pressure is being supplied paint material. I employ in the particular embodiment of my nvention showuan ad- JllStHlllP automatic pressure rmlucmg valve 1'- similar in ('(nmi'llletioll and operation in all Fig. 2).. a

The desired adjustments of the pressure regulators 1 and 2 maybe effected in any suitable or convenient manner, suchfor instance as by means of the adpisting screws 30, wherev by the said pressure reducers may each be valves employed. 1 and 2, with respect to'each adjusted so as to secure the desired relative coordination of the two pressures each or either with respect to the other. said pressure reducers operating in the usual manner of such devices to deliver and uniformly main tain a-constant pressuresupply into the paint pot or tank and also to the gun for atomization. r

The relative location of the two pressure other 1s quite .uliimportant so long as they function to eifectthe desired correlation'of the two pressures;

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I provide a very simple, compact, L'OliiblllGCl unit of pressure regulating valve or valves and water separator-which may be applied to or form a part of the lid or cover for the paint tank. thereby securing compactness in assembly and effecting the filtering and separation from the compressed air of any water of condensation and at a point so closely adjacent to'the point of delivery into the paint tank as to preclude the danger of the water of condensation reaching and becoming comn'iingled with the paint material in the 'pot. If desired, and as above indicated, this combined unit may constitute a necessary part of the paint pot or tank construction and must be applied whenever the paint pot or tank is employed thereby preventing the omission of the water Separator by accident, inattention purposely or otherwise to this element of theequipment.

It is obvious that many changes in the details of structure and arrangement will read ily occur to persons skilled in the art and still fall'within the spirit and scope of my invention. While. therefore, I have shown and'described a specific structure embodying my invention I do not desire to be limited or restricted to the exact details disclosed.

But having now set forth the objects and nature of my invention and a structure embodying the purposes thereof what I claim as new and use id and of my own invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combined pressure controlling and big a-base portion for attachment to a: paint pot'or container, a compressed air receiving chamber, an atomizing air passage and a paint feed passage. pressure reducing devices carried by said chamber and respectively delivering to said atomizing and paint feed passages, a pipe connection delivering from the interior of said casing to said pressure controlling devices and water separating means disposed within said casing and being in the path of theiair before it reaches the pressure regulating device.

2. A combined pressure controlling and.

water separating unit comprising a casing havinga base portion for attachment to a paint pot or container, an an pressure re-' ceiving chamber, a. sump chamber, an atomizing air pressure passage and a paint feed pressure passage, pressure regulating devices carried by said casing and delivering respectively to said a-tomizing air pressure passage and said paint feed pressure 'iassage, a water :aharating device disposcdwithin said casing above said sump chamber, said receiving chamber delivering to said water separator,

a pipe connection delivering from the water,

separator to said pressure reducing devices, and a drain connection delivering from said sump chamber. the air passing through the water separator beforereaehing the pressure regulating devices.

3. A combined pressure regulating and air conditioning unit in the form of a container cap, comprising a head having a base by which the unit may be applied to the eon-' tainer, filtering means in the head, said head having an air feed passage near the top, a tube connecting said passage with the interior of the head and extending through the filtering means, a conical member into which thetube projects, said conical member being of slightly less diameter than the intiu'nal diameter of the. head, pressure regulating devices in communication with the head above the filtering means, said head having an atomizing air passage and a paint feed passage in conununication with said pressure reducing devices and a valve on said head at the base for establishing communication between the water separating unit including a casing hav- A :nsomso paint feed passage and the container when the unit is applied thereto.

4. An vair conditioningunit OOIIlPllSlllg a, casing, filtering means in saidcasingdividing it into two chambers, in communication solely through said filteringmeziris, an air inlet passage into one of the chambers and an air outlet passage for the other chamber, a tube projecting through the filtering means and connected to the air outlet sage, and a conical member encircling. t e pro ecting tube nee-r its apex and'at its base being of a slightly less diameter than the internal diamv eter ofthe casing. .v In testimony whereof I hawe hereunto'set' my hand on this 13th day of-March A. D., 1928. FRANK ABRAM TITTEMORE. 

